Daytona United SportsCar test halted after big crashes

Tire blowouts cause airborne accidents.

Two aerial accidents during official United SportsCar Championship testing at Daytona on Tuesday have resulted in prototypes being withdrawn from the second day of running on Wednesday.

USCC officials suspended testing in the Prototype class and in the one-make Prototype Challenge division after Richard Westbrook's Spirit of Daytona Coyote-Chevrolet and the identical Action Express car became airborne following high-speed tire failures.

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A statement read: "Officials from IMSA [the USCC's sanctioning body] and [tire supplier] Continental Tire have jointly decided to suspend on-track testing of USCC Prototype and Prototype Challenge race cars after issues were discovered during testing at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday. IMSA and Continental Tire are analyzing the situation and working towards a solution."

Westbrook flipped when his Daytona Coyote Prototype suffered what was reported to be a blown right-rear tire as he approached Turn 1. The car somersaulted at least once before landing on its wheels.

The Chevrolet factory driver was treated at the circuit medical center before being released.

Barbosa also reported becoming airborne when he sustained a puncture in the Action Express car near the end of the test.

The DPs were running the same Hoosier-made Continental tires on which they have raced at the Daytona 24 Hours for the past two years, but the test was being run to evaluate changes designed to increase the performance of the cars for 2014.

The upgraded cars have significantly more downforce in their new configuration thanks to a new spec – rear-wing and ground effect tunnels – as well as an increase in engine power.

The best time of the test on Tuesday, 1:39.623 seconds set by the Action Express car, was 0.9 seconds faster than pole for January's 24 Hours at Daytona.